Prototypical never-has-been pulls out of the 497.5..

[mapguy]

Under-a-Cheeber pulls out of the Gomer 500. (http://www.autosport.com/newsitem.asp?id=22503&s=18)

Selected quotes with commentary by yours truly.


Eddie Cheever Jr. has decided to sit out the Indianapolis 500 next month, but stopped short of saying he's retiring from racing. Calling it a "self-imposed sabbatical,"

I already got my ass handed to my by the C^RT drivers. I don't want to embarrass myself again.


Cheever said has only entered two Red Bull Cheever Racing cars for Buddy Rice and a driver "to be determined."

Who he determines will have the largest check that clears.



said Cheever, who won the Indy 500 in 1998.

Autosport forgot the asteriks.


"I'm just looking at this as a sabbatical – a self-imposed sabbatical. I don't know what I'll do next year. All I know is that I won't be doing Indy this year."

I have finally realised that I really do suck.

[pchall]

*

:)

[devilmaster]

**

:laugh:

Steve

[Warlock!]

Originally posted by mapguy

I have finally realised that I really do suck.
LMAO!

Warlock!

[mnkywrch]

It took Tomas AND Buddy Rice whipping him to finally prove to himself that he was too old.

I'm 80% sure this is financial - not based on Eddie having a lowered opinion of himself. I mean, c'mon, let's be realistic here...

[JoeBob]

That, and if he couldn't do squat with the Infiniti, he's got no hope with the Chevy.

Even with a short field, he'd be at serious risk of missing the race. When you're a legend in your own mind, you just can't let that sort of thing happen.

[DaveL]

It's all very simple. Eddie has no money to run either himself or anyone else in that second car. He's holding the entry open in case someone with a large enough check comes along to buy the ride.

Ooh yah, that win in '98 is sure paying dividends for Steady Eddie.

[Ziggy]

What happened to the Waffle Eating Champion of Belgium? What was that clown's name???? I cant remember, really, I cant. OH YEAH

WIM EICKMANS

Whatever happened to ole Wim??? Eddie was gonna show him how American's race in America. Eddie Cheever was born in Arizona, and moved away when he was three years old. He grew up with Albereto in Italy, and looked down his nose at openwheel racing in America.

I hope he goes broke, and ends up driving a tour bus that smells of soiled depends

Ziggy

[Don Quixote]

I suppose this means that he will be in the broadcast booth for ABC. That should give the ratings a boost. :gomer:

[lone_groover]

Suck-a$$, no account, lisping, Kathleen Turner-pronouncing, scum sucking, bottom feeding, nut-hording, aphid-milking, playa hating, low-living, little boy-coveting, catcher-playing, cheap-@ss, small change-grubbing, Children's Beverage-swilling, freeze-dried, reconstituted wannabe Euro-GOMER WANKER!

...thanks WickerBill



:)

[Wheel-Nut]

Didn't Eddie have an infamous quote about being a race car driver and racing at Indy in May . . . . ? I forget just exactly how it goes. Anyone remember?

[racer2c]

Originally posted by lone_groover
Suck-a$$, no account, lisping, Kathleen Turner-pronouncing, scum sucking, bottom feeding, nut-hording, aphid-milking, playa hating, low-living, little boy-coveting, catcher-playing, cheap-@ss, small change-grubbing, Children's Beverage-swilling, freeze-dried, reconstituted wannabe Euro-GOMER WANKER!

...thanks WickerBill



:)


Uh, that's "Kathaleen" to you bub.

[Racewriter]

Originally posted by DaveL
It's all very simple. Eddie has no money to run either himself or anyone else in that second car. He's holding the entry open in case someone with a large enough check comes along to buy the ride.



Exactly. There are 28 drivers and 6 TBA's entered for Indy. I'd look at the TBA's this way:

Ganassi: Possible third entry, he ran four in 2001. Vasser? Bruno?
Penske (2): No way. Maybe one of these could go, if Barron dazzles in Japan and De Ferran is OK to race.
Cheever: Unlikely. Ride for sale.
Foyt: Unlikely. Ride for sale - IF Shiggy and IV can get through quals without trashing cars.
Beck: Definite. I'd say Nakano or McGehee.

Of those six TBAs, I'd be surprised if more than three materialized. That gives us 31 cars. What teams will roll backups? Menard, maybe. There will be lots of drivers with helmet in hand, but drivers with check in hand have been getting thinner on the ground the last couple of years.

I still think they'll struggle to make 33. Roe/Zali might have had their best shot this year.:eek:

[sundaydriver]

Will they start the race with less than 33 cars?

[Racewriter]

Originally posted by sundaydriver
Will they start the race with less than 33 cars?

I honestly doubt it. If the field isn't full by the end of bump day, I envision a "special qualifying session" midweek to get some hastily put together combinations qualified.

Kinda like CART did with Gary B at the initial US 500.

[JLMannin]

Maybe Charlie Nearburg could buy a ride this year.

[DaveL]

Originally posted by Racewriter
Ganassi: Possible third entry, he ran four in 2001. Vasser? Bruno?
Penske (2): No way. Maybe one of these could go, if Barron dazzles in Japan and De Ferran is OK to race.
Cheever: Unlikely. Ride for sale.
Foyt: Unlikely. Ride for sale - IF Shiggy and IV can get through quals without trashing cars.
Beck: Definite. I'd say Nakano or McGehee.


When you're discussing Penske, Ganassi, and Foyt, you must also take into account whether or not Toyota will actually supply a race-ready engine for an extra effort. History tells us that Toyota will not unless those teams have actual leases for engines to power those extra cars.

[Racewriter]

Originally posted by DaveL
When you're discussing Penske, Ganassi, and Foyt, you must also take into account whether or not Toyota will actually supply a race-ready engine for an extra effort. History tells us that Toyota will not unless those teams have actual leases for engines to power those extra cars.

I would say that Ganassi and Penske would have no problems getting another engine, if they wanted one. Foyt's a different story. In fact, Foyt just may be the only Toyota paying customer...

[rabbit]

Originally posted by Racewriter
.... In fact, Foyt just may be the only Toyota paying customer... I'll bet he never had that problem before 1996.

[DaveL]

Originally posted by Racewriter
Foyt's a different story. In fact, Foyt just may be the only Toyota paying customer...

I thought Shiggy brought the engines with him. Correct me if I'm wrong on this.

I can not think of a single year that Penske rolled out a backup car for a driver that was not entered before the month started. The car Unser drove in '87 was a replacement for Ongias' so Penske was still running 3 entries. It was not as if Penske only planned on running 2 and added a third later on. The moral to this story is that Lemmings would be best advised to NOT hold their breath waiting for Pimpske to add a third car once his two primary cars qualify. He's never done it before.

[JLMannin]

I foresee a "promotor's choice" entry or two to fill out the field.

A car starting the 500 without posting a qualifying time. Has this ever happenned?

[Don Quixote]

Now would seem to be an appropriate time to once again thank the grandson for fixing the Indy500 and OW racing in general.

[Hot Rod Otis]

Originally posted by Don Quixote
Now would seem to be an appropriate time to once again thank the grandson for fixing the Indy500 and OW racing in general.

Okay, I'll do it.

Thanks Tony, for fixing Indycar racing. Who knows what kind of gawd-awful shape the sport would be in now if you hadn't have acted when you did. We all know what horrible shape the sport was in in the early 90's, what with TV ratings, track attendance, sponsorship levels and engine manufacturer participation plummeting to all-time lows. Thanks Tony for making the Indy 500 the 16th most watched race on TV. Thanks Tony, for turning the month of May into a county-wide event. I stand in shock and awe at how you've brought the sport to unprecendented levels of popularity. Keep up the good work.

Hows that?

[RTKar]

Originally posted by sundaydriver
Will they start the race with less than 33 cars?

I would imagine, they've started the race with less than 33 competent drivers ;)

[Don Quixote]

Originally posted by Hot Rod Otis
Hows that?
Couldn't have said it better myself.